


Marauders: The First War

by ILikeReadingStuff



Series: Harry Potter and the Marauders [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boy-Who-Lived Harry Potter, F/M, First War with Voldemort, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Prequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-10-31 07:48:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17845340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ILikeReadingStuff/pseuds/ILikeReadingStuff
Summary: With the Potters' officially making Sirius Black their secret keeper, Peter Pettigrew, a friend of the Potters' and a traitor to the Order of the Phoenix, is forced to take matter into his own hands, and forever change the Wizarding World and the lives of its inhabitants as we know it-well at least some parts of it. The Boy-Who-Lived, lives a different origin story.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prequel to the Harry Potter series, I've tried to avoid making anyone OOC, sticking to the original characterization, however, Harry's characterization may be a bit more different in the future parts due to a slight change made in this story. 
> 
> Also, this story would focus on Sirius and Remus’ relationships but would often drift back to James and Lily when required. The first few chapters will focus on James and Lily on the night of October 31st 1981. I can’t say much without spoiling what I have in mind for this story, but all I can say is that although this is tagged as canon divergence, theirs only a slight change that would be made, the rest is as canon as canon can get.

**_October 31st, 1981_ **

James Potter stood by his window in  _Godric's Hollow,_ his pale hands tucked inside the pockets of his blue pants, his shoulders stiff with tension, and his eyes on the dark sky. He had been standing here for a while now, waiting for something he knew not what-perhaps he hoped it was something that would ease his mind from the current turmoil it was going through.

He took note of the stars, or lack thereof, the dark clouds covering every inch of the sky tonight. He ridiculously heard himself wishing for some sign, any sign that all would be okay, that they would be okay, and just that second, as if someone had heard him, the clouds shifted, and the moon showed. Covered by its own shadow, facing mostly away from Earth, a portion of the moon shined brightly.

The slight shift in the clouds oddly seemed to have pleased him, for he finally turned away from the window, and walked back downstairs.

He had just reached the last step on the staircase when he found what he had been looking for, curled up on the couch under an exquisite and abnormally long quilt, were his wife, Lily Evans-Potter, and their son, Harry James Potter. He walked towards them and sat on the floor, atop the red and gold rug. He leaned back against the couch and stretched his long legs out in front of him, facing the fireplace. He felt Lily's hands brush through his hair, and closed his eyes.

Tonight, it was Lily's turn to read to Harry before he slept, and he knew he was just on time, when he felt her shift around behind him. She reached for something, probably the book, on top of the sofa side table, and shifted once again, her one hand back to brushing through his hair, her other holding the book, while Harry sat beside her, his body resting on her side, his head resting on her abdomen.

The fire crackled, and Lily's voice filled the quiet room.

Today, it was a muggle folktale about a foolish friend, the monkey, who in an attempt to help his friend, the King, wound up killing his friend. He let out a small laugh as he found himself reminiscing about his time at _Hogwarts_ with his best mates, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. 

Of course Sirius and him were the most troublesome of the lot, considering they didn’t have a single bone in their bodies which practiced caution. They were reckless and impulsive and their rash behaviors often landed them in detention for just about every night of every year at _Hogwarts_ , only with insistence on Remus' part and anxiety on Peter's, did they practice some caution, of course it helped that Lily despised his rule breaking habit, further encouraging him to behave on some if not most occasions.

He let out a small laugh as he imagined Sirius and himself as the King and the monkey, he wondered if Lily bought this tale specifically with them on her mind. He turned towards Lily to ask her, only to find her staring back and smiling at him.

At first, he assumed she had thought the same thing as he did, but a closer look at her face, he knew she wasn’t smiling knowingly, instead it was a smile of relief, relief that _he_ was finally smiling again. 

James felt a pang of remorse hit him as he realized why she was smiling at him like that.

James knew he had been behaving like a selfish git, sulking about, but in his defense it had only been a couple of days since the 24th, barely a week, when they had cast the _Fidelius Charm_ , concealing their house and them along with it from the rest of the world.

That was the last time James had seen Sirius, who, now as their secret keeper, had gone into hiding as well. This had to be the longest the boys had gone without seeing each other, since Sirius had ran away from _Grimmauld Place_.

James loved every moment he spent with Harry and Lily, and would do anything just to stay in their company, however, he still couldn’t help but miss his best mates. Sirius had been the only one of the marauders present the night the charm was cast.

While he knew Sirius was safe where he was hidden, and Peter was alright taking care of his mother, it was the thought of Remus and whatever mission he was now on that worried him. He had seen Peter and Sirius a few times the week before they went into hiding, however it had been months since he had last seen Remus.

To make matters worse, Dumbledore refused to indulge them with any information on Moony's whereabouts, which further encouraged Sirius and his fixation on being the James Bond of the _Wizarding World_.

He found himself comparing Sirius with Alastor Moody, a fellow member of the Order as well as a high level Auror. Both of them had some serious trust issues, and the war didn't help. He wondered which one of the two was worst than the other, Moody with his ** _constant vigilance_** , an expression which one would find being yelled into their ear every other second of working alongside Moody, or Sirius who now had taken to distrusting anything that breathed oxygen, save for Harry and maybe, just _**maybe**_ , James and Lily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two is being rewritten, hence why I've taken it down. Sorry, I just felt some parts of it were lacking, and things felt too forced. The revised part will be updated soon, followed by chapter 3.   
> Thank you  
> -M


	2. Snuffles and Owls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 has been rewritten entirely, while the concept is still the same, additional material has been added to explain the significance behind some things, such as the ring as well as the relationship between the marauders and Lily. Please be sure to read, or skim through it at least, to get the general idea behind the ring as it plays a very important role in the future. Enjoy.

 

A large grey owl swooped down  _Godric's Hollow_ , making its way towards a beautiful cottage. Placed under the  _Fidelius Charm_ , the cottage and its inhabitants were concealed from all but the secret keeper, and postal owls.

The owl peaked inside the house, searching for any sign of life, and when it found none, it snapped its beak fiercely against the window. This particular action had certainly managed to achieve its desired effect, as it wasn’t long before footsteps could be heard making their way down the wide staircase, rushing towards the noise.

The owl's presence had clearly startled the residents of the Potter cottage. While, it wasn't rare for owls to go about delivering letters or parcels to the Potter household, however, this was the first time since the  _Fidelius Charm_  had been cast that they received mail.

The window was burst open and slammed shut in the same second, giving the owl enough time to soar through it and land softly on the shoulders of one Lily Evans-Potter. James Potter stood alert, by the stairs, as he watched his wife, cross the room towards a small table placed under a smaller window. Set on top of the table was a medium sized white cage, containing _Eeylops Premium Owl Treats._

Although they didn’t own an owl, considering the only people they would ever mail to, never really left them alone long enough for them to send an owl,-honestly, how they even managed to have Harry was a mystery to them-, nevertheless, Lily had insisted that they keep owl treats around the house for the Postal owls.

James waited impatiently, as Lily fed the owl, taking the time to mentally prepare himself for whatever it was that was waiting for them inside the small roll of parchment. He crossed the room to where Lily now stood, shifting closer to his wife, he noticed something he hadn't before, a parcel. It was small enough to have gone unnoticed, and light enough for Lily to not have minded the additional pressure of, on her shoulder.

The owl stuck out its leg, and Lily with her wand in hand, grabbed the letter and the parcel and placed them on the table. She quickly began performing all sorts of anti-jinx tests and every other spell that existed to check for tampering. Once it was clear that it was safe to open them, she took the letter for herself and handed James the parcel. James quickly worked his way through the package, not even considering to use magic to unwrap it, his curiosity and boredom from having been locked inside the house took over any sort of caution he had practiced as an Auror.

 _"James.."_ Lily gasped, her hand covering her mouth. One glance at his wife, James ripped the parcel open.

Taking out the small pouch from the parcel, James dug through it. He quickly took out his hand when it met something, and proceeded to glance into the pouch, hoping for his eyes to find the same thing his hand had. He let out a small gasp, for carefully placed inside the pouch was a ring, and not just any ring, but the _Marauders_ ring. His ring. Held between his thumb and forefinger, James observed the ring for the first time since he had last set his eyes on it.

Transfigured from the contents found inside the _Shrieking Shack_ , it was a fine piece of jewelry. The band was a unique shade of silver, as silver as the moon, bearing the Marauders coat of arms: a shining red stag, a shaggy black dog, a light brown wolf, and a fat grey rat united around a large _M_ engraved in the middle. The animals were a representation of James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter's transformed states, three of whom were animagi, and one a lycanthrope. While an animagus is a wizard or a witch who elects to turn into an animal, a lycanthrope, has no choice in the matter.

At the age of four, Remus had been bitten by the werewolf Fenrir Greyback, in an act of vengeance against his father. Afflicted with lycanthropy, Remus was doomed to living a half-life as an outcast in the Wizarding World, a life which was soon made easier, with the help of his friends, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. In their fifth year at Hogwarts, the boys had secretly become unregistered animagi, to assist Remus with his transformation on full moon nights. A task most difficult, mastered only by those with advanced knowledge in the most complex branch of magic, _Transfiguration_.

Their nicknames, in fact, were derived from their transformed states: James was named _Prongs,_  owning to his stag, as a large black dog with padded-feet, Sirius was referred to as _Padfoot,_ with his worm like tail as a rat, Peter became known as  _Wormtail_ , and on the account of his transformations occurring on a full moon, Remus earned the nickname _Moony_.

Their incorrigible knack for rule-breaking and mischief making, inspired them the name _Marauders,_ something which the boys had began dubbing themselves as, throughout their time at _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_.

On the eve of their graduation, drunk out of their minds, the boys had come up with the idea of the ring, as a form of respect to their time spent together at the school, and all that would come after. James had hoped that once they left _Hogwarts_ , the ring would keep them in touch with one another. In light of Voldemort's rebellion, it was important they stood together, for they were strong when united, and weak when divided.

They charmed the ring so it grew hot whenever one of them was in need, or in a dire situation. All they had to do was tap the _M_ with their wands, or press on it four times should their wand be taken from them, and the silver band would begin to warm, growing hotter every second, until one or all responded. It was sickeningly like the Death Eater mark, and they had all been a bit hesitant working through that specific charm, however, Sirius having had enough of the tense atmosphere, had put forth an argument that it wasn’t magic that was bad, it was the intent with which it was used that made it bad. He argued that Voldemort used it for the wrong reasons when he summoned his Death Eaters, where as they intended to use it to keep each other safe from harmful situations, especially if they were to join the _Order of the Phoenix,_ an organization founded by Albus Dumbledore, to oppose Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Sirius' speech was followed by a sound of applause from Peter, which broke James and Remus out of their shocked states, and Sirius, insulted by their reaction had made remarks which soon after had lightened the mood. Sirius' speech further encouraged them to place additional safety charms on the rings, one of which hexed those unfamiliar to the _Marauders._

The ring also consisted of an identification charm, glowing in the color that was coded to its specific bearer only, red for James ( _it reminded him of Lily's hair_ ), green for Sirius ( _it reminded him of Lily's eyes…Ow James_ ), blue for Remus, and yellow for Peter. The darker the color appeared, the more in need was the person calling them, of course it didn’t help that Sirius misused it for when he was bored ( _people can die out of boredom Moonyyyy_ ), for when he was hungry ( _what if I had fainted near a death eater Prongs_ ), or for when he was just being a lazy prat ( _See these hands, these precious beauties, they are not made for working, Wormtail_ ). Nevertheless, none of it ever stopped them from turning up, nor did it ever stop them from complaining.

**   _-A year ago-_ **

_"Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf, Padfoot"_

_"The boy who cried what.."_

_"Wolf"_

_"Why would I cry the wolf Moony? Surely, you don’t mean I would…give you up like that…do you…I mean not after…I thought we had fixed…-_

_"NO. No, no, no, I didn’t mean..no..its..it's a muggle expression.._

_"Muggles know about wolves?"_

_"No well yes, but not in that way, they just see us as mythical creatures."_

_"So why would the muggle cry wolf, if he doesn’t believe a wolf exists?"_

_"I'll let Lily explain it to you"_

**   _-Back to Present-_ **

James had thought he lost it, on his last raid as an Auror. He remembered how devastated he had been, ready to go back to the forest and look for it, but only after Lily had threatened to hex him and tie him to his hospital bed had he finally settled down.

Someone had clearly found it, curious as ever, he reached for the scroll that was in Lily's hand.

**_Thought you might be looking for your lady luck._ **

**_Curious piece of magic, bugger wouldn’t let me touch it without giving me puss-filled boils!_ **

**_Had to levitate it into a pouch to get it back to you._ **

**_Put it back on your finger, and don’t take it off!_ **

**_Lose it again and I’ll donate it to the Department of Mysteries._ **

**_\- You-Know-Who-No-Not-That-Who_ **

Except, he really didn’t know who.

Who could've found this now? It had been weeks since he had lost it. Of course he was glad to have it back, but it was rather curious that someone had found it and had sent it to him, especially since none of the Order missions now involved the forest he had lost it in.

One thing was for sure, it was no stranger who had sent this, only someone who knew him well enough knew this was specifically his ring, not Peters’, not Remus’ and definitely not Sirius’, especially if the color was anything to go by. Unfortunately, those who knew him also fell into the Death Eater category, for he was never seen without this ring during his short lived career as an auror. Aside from his wedding ring, this was the only other ring he wore on his hands. 

His mind was filling up with numerous questions.

How and when had this person found it? They couldn’t have gone back to retrieve it, for members of the Order were forbidden from entering the forest now, so did that mean the person had had it on them all this time, since the day he had lost it? Why hadn't they returned it then? Everyone had seen him sulking about, around the headquarters for weeks after he had lost the ring, begging Dumbledore to go back to the forest to get the ring, using his invisibility cloak. Of course Dumbledore had refused him, and Lily had agreed, it was too dangerous.

But, if someone had gone back to the forest, for one reason or another, why would they have risked their time to look for the ring? The forest was currently inhabited by Greyback's pack!

What if they had just found it laying on the ground, by where they stood, perhaps they had grabbed it, but going back to their note, it had taken quite some time to get a hold of the ring due to the safety charms placed on it, so why would anyone take such a huge risk especially for something which everyone outside of the marauders deemed as a silly little ring?

It was either sheer dumb luck, or a carefully evaluated plan.

Plus James had to consider the fact that someone had clearly gone against Dumbledore's orders to send it to them for Dumbledore had strictly forbidden everyone from contacting James and Lily once they had gone into hiding. Of course, only one person had disobeyed this order, and he was currently in hiding himself; Sirius Black.

Whoever it was, or had been, clearly had a sense of humor, and a bad one too, but not as bad as their handwriting. He recognized the writing but for the life of him couldn’t place a name to it, but he knew he was familiar with it. With that thought in mind, he finally allowed himself to relax, for if he identified the handwriting, it must be someone close to him who had found the ring as he never received letters from people he barely spoke to. The only owls he received outside of family and friends, were from either the ministry or the Order.

The ministry would sooner let Voldemort take reign then be publicly associated to someone with such an atrocious handwriting. So it must have been someone from the Order or his group of friends. Not to forget, only the people closest to him knew he referred to the ring as his lady luck-an inside joke between him and Sirius.

James, examined the ring, before, he began to place it back on his finger. He knew he was being reckless, but he had missed the ring, and the feeling of safety it invoked when it was wrapped around his finger. Besides, Lily had already checked it for various jinxes, hexes, curses, and every other form of tampering, and nothing untoward had been found. Surely it was safe.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Lily beginning to voice her protest. Her hands already reaching out to confiscate the ring, however, as she opened her mouth, another sound was heard echoing in the silence that had followed the owls arrival. Harry's cries grew louder from the room above, and Lily and James rushed up the stairs, the ring still in his hand. However, as soon as they reached Harry's nursery, Lily stopped James from entering.

 _"If you're going to carry that bloody thing around, without any further inspection, then do it away from Harry,"_ Lily snapped, as she walked towards Harry picking him up from his crib, holding him close, checking to see what it was that had woken him up.

James, surprised with Lily's attitude towards him, kept silent, and observed the room, searching for what had disturbed their son. He soon found what he was looking for, hiding under the bed they had placed in Harry's nursery for days when Harry needed extra attention. Placing the ring on the floor, outside the room, he walked towards the bed, and crouched down. Glancing under the bed, he found the perpetrator. 

 _"Meow,"_ James let out a small laugh, for hiding under the bed was the Potters’ cat,  _Snuffles._

 _"That bloody cat had better not woken Harry up, I had barely managed to put him to sleep before,"_ Lily said.

 _"Meow,"_ Snuffles responded, as he stared at Lily.

_"oh get out, you little brat."_

_"Looks like we're both in trouble tonight, eh."_ James said as he picked _Snuffles_ up, and fled the room, away from Lily's glare. He managed to grab the ring, before he left, though he tried to do it in the most inconspicuous manner as to not annoy Lily more than she already was.

He headed down and was surprised to find the owl still there. He realized they had forgotten to open the window for the owl to leave, in their haste to check the mail. He quickly crossed the room, avoiding the glare the owl was sending his way, still comfortably perched on the stand inside the cage.

He didn’t realize before it was too late the trouble that was about to come his way as a loud screech was heard from the lounge. _Snuffles_ was glaring at the owl, and James soon realized what may have happened.

 _"Oh you little bugger, you better not have woken Harry up in retaliation for the owl, Lily would put you up for adoption herself if she realized it."_ James glared at his beloved little cat, who continued staring at the owl.

This was a normal occurrence in the Potter house every time an owl arrived. He remembered the first time they realized _Snuffles_ aversion to owls. Lily had brought Owl Treats home and it hadn't been long before their devious little cat, began hunting down valuable owl food, and destroying it. No matter where they hid the food, _Snuffles_ always managed to sniff it out, and Lily, hesitant to charm the food, lest the magic tampers with it, was eventually forced to buy a cage, and charm it to keep _Snuffles_ from attacking it. Though James heavily doubted any charm could ever stop that bloody cat from spending at least an hour a day staring loathingly at the cage from a distance.

He couldn't help but notice the animosity only grow, with the presence of the cage in the house, _Snuffles_ , had refused to come near either of them for a week, going about sulking around the house. The dramatic little bugger had even scratched James when he tried to feed him, clawing at his arms. However, it wasn’t long before the little devil came crawling back into their laps, and all it took was a tawny postal owl. The possessive little brat had latched onto them, refusing to let them go near the owl. It wasn’t until James had used his wand to open the window, giving the owl enough time to swoop in and drop the _Daily Prophet_ in their laps, efficiently grabbing the 2 _Knuts_ he had managed to _accio_ , and swoop back out, did _Snuffles_ get off them.

It was unfortunate that _Snuffles_ hated owls, for Lily loved them. Lily had always been enamored by wizarding world pets, most especially owls.

On many occasions, he had insisted on buying one for her, but as they had no need of them, Lily had always outright refused, calling it a waste of money.

" _Besides_ ," she would argue, _"we already have Snuffles, imagine the tantrum he would throw should we bring another pet in the house_." As she would walk around _Eeylops Owl Emporium,_ admiring the snow owls. One in particular had grabbed her attention, and James decided he would get that one for her as soon as they got out of hiding _,_  no matter how much she protested, _Snuffles_ be damned, the spoiled brat would have to just take it like a champ.

Sometimes he swears this cat is the spawn of Sirius, but considering his _animagus_ was a dog aka Padfoot, his theory was invalid, although he could make an argument for nature vs. nurture in his defense; as despite the fact they are natural enemies, Padfoot and Snuffles got along like a house on fire, much to Lily's dismay.

James came back to the present as he felt something brush past his leg,think of the devil, _Snuffles_ had passed by him to move closer to the cage, his eyes still watching the owl, without blinking, as if daring it to do something. He hissed at the owl, loud enough to alert Lily, who having understood what had happened yelled, _"James, that cat better not be terrorizing the owl, send him back up, the last thing I need is for an aggravated owl flying around the house."_

 _"Ok you little devil, you heard her, run along now,"_  James whispered, quickly grabbing him, and placing him back on the stairs.

 _"Go back to Harry and Lily upstairs, go keep an eye on 'em for me…go."_ Snuffles stared back at him as if disgusted he was speaking to him like he was some kitten in need of training, before climbing the stairs, backwards, taking one step at a time, his eyes never leaving the owl.

James laughed at his cats antics, before he turned his attention back to the owl and sobered up. He beckoned for it to come out of the cage, his arm out, patiently waiting. The owl glanced towards the staircase, and then back at James, before slowly coming out of the cage and landing on his arm.

He held the owl, and stared at it for a while _'who sent you_?,' he wondered, as he slid the window open and let the owl fly into the night, staring at it go, before quickly snapping it shut. 

James, settled on the couch across from the fireplace, and stared at the ring on his hand. He wished he knew who had sent it. Perhaps, if they knew who sent it, Lily wouldn’t have thrown him out of Harry's room like that. He glanced at the note, which Lily had dropped in her rush to get to Harry, and picked it up, glaring at the signature.

Who could've braved the wrath of the werewolf pack for his ring?

Maybe it was Moon--no. What would Moony be doing in that forest, with Greyback's pack? Besides, Moony would never have gone against Dumbledore's orders, nor would he ever have signed it as you-know-who. He would've kept it simple, a small message to confirm it was he who had sent it, and that the ring was safe.

Except he wouldn’t, if he was the-damn, he was letting Sirius get to his head again.

He quickly diverted his thoughts to how Sirius would react once he hears about the ring.

Knowing Sirius, he'd probably ask him to wait until he comes out of hiding, so he could place the ring back on his finger, just as he had done the last time, on the day of James and Lily's wedding.

He thought back to the day at of his wedding when Sirius had asked him for the ring right before the ceremony, not explaining his reasoning behind the odd request.

James, used to Sirius' antics and knack for trouble had given him the ring, knowing whatever it was his best mate was planning, it would be entertaining nevertheless.

And entertaining it was, when right after he had exchanged rings with Lily, Sirius had stepped up from behind him, turning James around to face him, taking his left hand in his own and placed the marauders ring on his middle finger, right next to his wedding ring.

 _"Take that Red,"_  He had claimed, right before he had proceeded to place a big fat kiss on his left cheek.

Remus had face palmed, Peter, in an attempt to imitate Remus, had ended up spilling wine all over his face and clothes, a large red bump quickly forming on his forehead from the unbreakable wine glass he had temporarily forgotten he had been holding. Some guests looked confused, others who were used to Sirius had laughed, and very few had looked stunned, expecting drama.

 _"Take this dog,"_ And Lily, beautiful Lily, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, had retaliated by turning James right back around, cradling his face in her soft hands, and before he could even comprehend anything, Lily had kissed him; their first kiss as a married couple, all the while giving Sirius the middle finger behind his back. Like the drama queen he is, Sirius had placed his hands on his chest, looking devastatingly heartbroken but smiling nonetheless. Someone had managed to capture that moment, for the picture had arrived, a week after their wedding.

James had laughed hysterically, pausing only to frame it, and place it in clear view, above the fireplace mantle, though Sirius had made a very strong argument for it to be placed by their bedside table, which Lily of course strongly objected and heavily denied.

Sirius and Lily's back and forth bickering was the main source of their entertainment and the main cause behind their frustration. Both were exceptionally strong minded but also equally stubborn, neither failing to get a rise out of the other solely for their own pleasure. To make matters worse, they refused to accept that most days they were just being irrational, instead they blamed those who were dimwitted enough to stay in their company as dramatic; James. Going as far as to calling their bickering an intellectual discussion or a _heated debate._ Remus, proving to be the real intellectual in the group, dubbed it as The Battle for the Stag, followed by Peter giving out house points, or rather Stag points, every time Lily or Sirius had a go about James.

A mini modified version of the Hogwarts Hourglasses soon turned up to their house, and found a place above the fireplace mantle, right next to which now sat the 'ring incident' picture from their wedding.

Lily's hourglass was a striking red, and Sirius' was an ostentatious orange, with a tiny "M" for marauders flag hanging off it. Both were enchanted to keep track of points given to the two. While he had absolutely loved the idea of it in the beginning, it wasn’t long before he wanted to smash the hourglasses into pieces, and Peter with it for suggesting it in the first place. The bloody thing just encouraged Sirius and Lily more, it was like having a personalized version of _Gryffindor_ and _Slytherin_ rivalry right in their home.

He didn’t, nor did he want to know, what the winner would get in the end, as long as it wasn’t something to do with him. The two were driving him mad with their daily arguments, and it didn’t help that James seemed to get dragged into it every now and then. 

He shuddered as he remembered their last argument.

**   _-Some Time Ago-_ **

Lily had gone on an Order mission for a whole week, and Sirius had just been dropping by to keep him some company while she was away, not having expected to find Lily at all. He had apparated to the Potters' kitchen at 3 in the morning, right behind Lily who had been heating up something to eat. Sirius had given her a nasty shock, and would have mostly likely ended up hexed into _St. Mungos_ had it not been for Snuffles, who had distracted Lily long enough with her entrance, for her to realize Sirius wasn't one of the Death Eaters she had just faced.

Lily had been livid, and the argument would've taken a turn for the worst, had Sirius not turned on the lights " _I'm not arguing with you in the dark Evans",_  just in time to see Lily quickly cast several healing charms on her face. 

James had rushed down the stairs, to check what all the noise had been about, only to find an injured Lily and a shocked Sirius standing in the middle of the kitchen.  James had barely even caught onto Lily being home, much less that she was injured, before Sirius sprang into action, dragging Lily to the sitting room. That had been enough to snap him out of it, and rush after them.

Lily had barely sat down, when the two had started throwing healing spells at her, James, who, in his rush to get downstairs, had forgotten to grab his wand, attempted to perform wandless magic, focusing on summoning the first aid kit with tremendous determination. To his surprise, the first aid kit had flown into his hand, and it wasn't long before Sirius and him rummaged through the kit taking out anything and everything.

While Sirius handed her a vial of _Blood-Replenishing Potion,_ he applied the essence of  _Dittany_  on the deep cut that covered her leg, stretching from her left knee to ankle. Sirius cast _Brackium emendo_ , on her broken shoulder, finishing up with  _Tergeo_ , a cleaning spell to siphon the blood that covered just about every inch of her skin.

Watching Lily shift around, her discomfort evident as, he had quickly reached into the kit, looking for a vial of _Sleeping Draught_ , only to find it empty. He had rushed down to their Potions storeroom in the basement, an idea of Lily's when James, on more than one occasion had turned up injured after a particularly dangerous auror mission, refusing to go to _St. Mungos_ , lest they keep him there for longer than necessary. Eventually, the need for the it only increased once they joined the Order, and many people began turning up to their house, as opposed to going to _St. Mungos_ , for it was deemed too dangerous. 

He had quickly set everything aside, grabbed his cauldron, and reached for the ingredients. Focused on getting it right, as well as getting it done, fast. 

Half an hour later, he had rushed back up the stairs to the sitting room, vial in his hand _,_ only to find Lily already fast asleep, next to a sheepish looking Sirius. Her head resting on his shoulder, she had looked so peaceful if not for the occasional shifting, he hadn’t had the heart to disturb her, and by the looks of it neither did Sirius. He had set the vial aside for when he knew Lily would wake up from the pain of her wounds. Sirius had done his best at healing her, while he had been busy brewing the potion.

** _-Back to the Present-_ **

It was moments like that, which showed the true nature of their relationship. It was very much like  _Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans,_ you never knew what you were going to find with those two. Some days they fought like trolls, other days they behaved like a bunch of babbling, bumbling band of baboons, and on rare days they were two people who cared very deeply for one another. 

It was exhausting keeping up with them, and Peters hourglasses only made them more insufferable. Of course, Peter was as favorable of Sirius, as Dumbledore was of  _Gryffindor_  with house points, however, while Dumbledore's bias benefited them, Peter's bias put them at a disadvantage.

  **_-Some Time Ago-_**

  _"Coming Prongs"_

_"With you no, with me yes"_

_"That comment was highly distasteful, even for you Red"_

_"Get your mind out of the gutter you git"_

_"Sorry no can do, Moony would have a breakdown"_

_"Why would I have a breakdown?"_

_"Moony's having a breakdown?"_

_"No Peter, I am not having a breakdown?"_

_"Whose having a breakdown?”_

_"No one's having a breakdown Prongs."_

_"But you just said you're having a break down Remus."_

_"No Peter, I asked why Sirius thought I would be having a break down, not that I was having a break down."_

_"Why did Padfoot think you're going to have a breakdown, are you going to have a break down?"_

_"No Peter, I am not going to have a breakdown!"_

_"Then why did Sirius think you were going to have a breakdown?"_

_"I don't know Prongs, maybe we should ask Sirius that!"_

_"Ask Sirius what Remus?"_

_"Why I'm having a breakdown Peter?"_

_"So you are!"_

_"For merlin's sake Peter, I am not having a breakdown!"_

_"Then, why would Sirius think that, if you weren't, there has to be a reason there, shouldn’t there be, eh James?”_

_"Right, Peter, so why don’t we ask Sirius why, so we could know too, eh mate?"_

_"oh okay, wait, where's Sirius?"_

Sirius, along with Lily had moved to the kitchen, aiming for a bag of popcorn, as James had joined Peter and Remus on their quest to find out why Remus was going to have a breakdown. The two had barely been able to hold themselves together, when their friends had finally noticed their absence, as soon as they realized their friends were looking for them, they broke out laughing maniacally. 

 _"You two are unbelievable,"_ Remus had said, as he shook his head at them, finally having spotted them.

_"You’re not wrong."_

_"Merlin Lily, Et tu Brute?"_

_"Sorry Remus-_

Sirius interrupted Lily's attempt at an apology with ill-concealed laughter, his arms wrapped around his middle, as he spoke...or rather gasped out  _"..Wor..Womt..Pete..Peter' s questions,"_ and that was all it took to get everyone else laughing in the room, while Peter's questions had been funny, now that they looked back at it, Sirius' reaction was more hysterical, his laugh absolutely contagious. 

_"5 points from Sirius"_

_"Aw, come on Petey, you know it was funny, besides it was Lily's fault really, so you should take points from her"_

_"WHAT?"_

_"10 points from Lily"_

_"Peter!"_

_"I mean, he's right really, had you not said what you said, I wouldn-"_  

_"You banshee haired, giant squid lookin sasquatch-_

_"Now…now Lilykins,-_

" _with the screechy voice of a merman and the sex appeal of a troll-_

" _oh…wow, Moony must really love me-_

_"Azkaban is not a part of my 10 year plan-_

_"ooh mine neither, cheers-_

_"so don't tempt me, into committing-_

_"Dont worry silly Lily, I'll look after Prongs for you"_

_"_ **_Prongs_ ** _is not yours to look after! He is getting married, and its' NOT TO YOU pup."_

Sirius had given him a look of utter betrayal, _"See what I have to hear now because of you."_

 _"You wouldn’t have to if you just accept that he isn't yours anymore”_ Lily had yelled, now moved across the room.

“ _I’ll always be yours_ ,” James had softly whispered behind his wife’s back to his best mate, whose eyes were drifting between Lily, James, the hourglass and Peter who after receiving a punch on his arm granted Sirius 10 points, for James words.

 _"HA!"_ Sirius had yelled, one arm stretched outwards, pointing a finger at Lily, the other landing a punch on Peter's arm, who, though bruising, delightfully handed Sirius another 15 points. 

 _"For what exactly?,"_  Lily had shot back.

Sirius ignoring every set of warning James sent his way,  _"I won't be your mistress on the side Prongs",_ claimed,  _"For James saying he'll always be mine"_

Lily had directed her glare at James, who sank back from the intensity of it, " _Well?"_

_"I did not say that."_

_"Sure you did Prongs, don't be afraid, I got you"_

_"Lily, love,-_

_"Jamie..._

_"Shut up Sirius-_

_"Rude."_

_"I would always be yours Lils,_

_"But he'll always be mine first Red."_

_"Haven't you heard dog, quality over quantity."_

_"which fails in this case-_

_"That's debatable dog-_

_"You're in denial Red-_

_"You're delusional dog-_

_"You're desperate Red-_

_"You're a dick."_

_"I also have one."_

_"You repulse me."_

_"As do you."_

_"I can't stand you"_

_"Back at ya'_

_"Why-_

_"Ok that's enough both of you! Stand apart, or I will hex you apart!"_  They all turned towards the brave heart who had managed to shut them both up, and to all their surprises, including owner of the voice, it was Peter.

Lily and Sirius to James' and Remus' surprise, went and sat down on the couch across from one another, quietly. Peter, had also proceeded to walk to the couch and sit down by the fire, he was biting his lips hard as if he couldn't believe what he had just done. James and Remus followed, with no choice left. 

A few hours later, James, lying face down on the rug, his legs spread out behind him, looked up from the chess board, no longer waiting patiently for Remus to make his move. He glanced around the room, and saw Lily checking out the hourglasses. He knew she had been interested in the charms they had placed on the hourglasses, but he couldn't help but tease her.  

_"Tell me Evans, you didn't say yes to me just so you could win, did you?"_

_"And if I have?"_

_"That’s a low blow Evans. Watch it or I just might take up Sirius’ offer, then he’ll be the one with the 50 points you had claimed following my proposal."_

Lily smiled brightly at him, and he would've normally suspected it, had Remus not made his move just then. He had just been preparing to call his move, when he felt a kick, right between the legs, _"Oi, watch the goods."_

 _"Keep talking and they'll be damaged goods,"_ Smiling that devious smile of hers, Lily had gone and sat next to Remus, opposite him. 

 _"At least you admit they are goods,"_ Distracted he had called out a move, not realizing his mistake until he looked down to see Remus' chess piece take out his queen.

Lily made a show of cheering loudly, patting Remus on the back, but her eyes on James, who sat up annoyed, making a point to mouth _"traitor"_ at her. Lily, never the one to back down from having the last word had stood on her knees, but before she could say anything, James had yanked her close by the arm, and snogged her within an inch of his life. Lily, having not expected it, staggered forward, landing on James, who though surprised had taken no time at all to wrap his arms around her, pulling her closer. The sound of their kiss was emanated by loud gagging noises from the back, followed by Remus' proclamation,  _"You two disgust me."_

Peter, not one to be left behind, remarked _"10 points from Lily for giving Sirius a cold shower,-_

 _-and he didn’t even need water,”_  Remus had finished, laughing as he walked to where Sirius sat on a stool with his legs spread out, which Remus easily slipped between, grabbing the bar of chocolate Sirius had been trying to get his attention with while he played chess.

 _“Yes laugh now, but when I become damaged, you'll be the one crying,"_ said Sirius as he wrapped his arms around Remus, pulling him closer.

Remus chuckled, ruffling Sirius' hair, and managing to get a peck on the tip of his nose as Sirius snapped his teeth at him.

 _"Ugh not you too"_  Peter, who had now left his spot by the fire, and had approached them, looking as if he was considering leaving, but was battling the idea that if he left, he'd miss out on something. 

Lily and James, who had stopped snogging, snickered at Peter.

James had pulled Lily onto his lap, her back to his chest, their legs spread out before them. James was working his way through Lily's neck, placing soft kisses as he went.

 _"Quick Remus show me your dick, anymore of this, and I won’t be needing a cold shower, I’ll be permanently damaged,"_ Sirius shouted.

 _“Okay that’s where I draw the line, you are not allowed to traumatize his dick! Get a room!"_ Remus chimed in.

_“We ARE in a room, in OUR house, speaking of which don’t YOU all have your OWN homes to go to?”_

Sirius, gasping dramatically,  _"You wound me Evans. I don’t appreciate the insinuation that this isn’t my home. What’s James is mine, except for you, he can have you, but that’s not the point, the point is, James, do you hear your her?!”_

_“I do, and I agree"_

_"Technically, you haven't said 'I do' just yet-_

_"Shut up and get_   _out"_

_"Rude. Pete.."_

_"10 points from Lily Evans for her atrocious behavior, honestly, what would McGonagall say?"_

Sirius had laughed as Peter jumped over the couch narrowly avoiding being hexed into next week by Lily, while he simply deflected the one aimed at him with a lazy flick of his wand. 

** _-Back to the present-_ **

Peter's bias occasionally landed him in hot water with Lily. Sirius and his stunt with the ring had earned him 40 points, whereas Lily's response had earned her a 50, but Peter had ended up giving Sirius last minute 15 points for  _"staying true to his Gryffindor roots, demonstrating sheer bravery"_  to which Lily had answered less so with words and more so with her hands, as she had smacked Peter on the head with her bouquet. In her defense, she had been sticking to her _Gryffindor_ roots as well, showing true loyalty to her Hogwarts House with her determination; determination to win.

In that moment, James realized what the war had taken from them. He desperately wished for the war to be over already, he wished for Peter's mum to be healthy again, he wished for Remus to be safe wherever he was, he wished Sirius didn’t have to go into hiding, he wished they didn’t have to go into hiding, he wished he could go out with Harry, show him off to his mates at the ministry, every time Harry did something, whether it be crawl, run, or walk. Lily and him should have been enjoying their marital life right now, not hiding because an evil bastard was out there trying to murder their one year old son. Sirius should have been enjoying his life outside of Hogwarts, away from the Black family, independent at last, not hiding, so the same evil bastard doesn’t find him to torture their whereabouts out of him. 

It has been almost a week since Sirius had gone into hiding, a week since James last saw Sirius in person, a week since Lily shut down whatever idea that had come to Sirius' mind, a week since Lily with the support of Albus Dumbledore had gone behind their backs and made a new plan, a week since Sirius had thrown a temper tantrum, a week since James had said what he had said that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter was written better than the original, and explained some things.  
> Thank you for reading. Chapter 3 will be up soon.  
> -M


	3. A Change of Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is going back to a week ago, when the Fidelius Charm was cast.

**_October 24th, 1981_ **

 Sirius watched, as James paced up and down between the lounge and the kitchen.

_-Sometime Later-_

James watched as Sirius paced around the lounge.

_-A Short While Later-_

Lily watched as James and Sirius paced back and forth,  walking in the opposite direction, hands running through their hair.

_-An Hour Later-_

Harry sat in his crib watching his parents and godfather, all gathered around the fireplace, waiting for something, he knew not nor understood, but he still let out a laugh. Apparently the sight of his family distressed amused him to no ends, especially as his father nearly pulled his hair out from his head from frustration.

_-Sometime around Midnight-_

Dumbledore stepped out of the fireplace, an amused look appearing on his face as he took in the sight that greeted him. For slumped a few feet away on the couch were the three people he was set to meet tonight. Curled up on the couch was Lily Evans-Potter, her head resting on the armrest of her couch, beside her sat Sirius Black, his knees drawn up towards his chest, his head resting on the edge of the couch, and below them, settled on the rug, with his back to the couch, was James Potter, who even in his sleep held his son, Harry, closely to his chest.

 _"I can't imagine that to be a very comfortable position to rest,"_ Dumbledore said, as he crossed the room.

 Lily sat bolt upright, her hand already clutching for her wand, another reaching to rest on Harry's back, immediately followed by her husband who shot right up, his wand out, pointing in the direction of the voice, his other arm holding Harry closer, attempting to conceal him from the view.

 _"I'm up, I'm up, oh...hello Headmaster. You're late."_ Sirius had jumped up from the couch, his wand also out, pointing at every direction.

 _"I see you have all been listening to Moody's strict code of vigilance, he'd be delighted to hear you haven't been just sleeping through them,"_ Dumbledore said, glancing briefly at James and Sirius, _"or so he claims,"_ He added, watching them with a twinkle in his eyes.

Sirius let out a snort, _"Moody and delighted? I'd sooner see a happy banshee than a happy Moody."_

James chuckled, as he settled down on the couch by Lily who had finally put away her wand, but her eyes stayed on Dumbledore. She didn’t react to Sirius' comment, as she took in the disheveled appearance of their former headmaster.

 _"Has something happened, Headmaster?"_ Lily whispered, unsure whether she wanted to hear his answer. Her question, was followed by a tense silence which slowly spread around the room, and Sirius and James finally took note of Dumbledore.

The war seemed to be taking its toll on him, just as it was on all of them, but there was something different about him tonight, he appeared more tense than usual.

 _"Albus please, I am no longer your headmaster,"_ Dumbledore answered, before settling down on a couch directly opposite the, _"Dangerous times, very dangerous indeed,"_ He muttered, as he helped himself to a lemon drop.

It was clear to them that Dumbledore was avoiding their question, not knowing why, they quietly waited for him to speak.

 _"Now, I assume you haven't shared the change in our plans, have you?"_ Dumbledore directed at Lily, who quickly looked away.

_"Change-_

_"What change-_

_"Lily?"_ James addressed his wife, whose face flushed red. 

 _"I thought it to be best if you and I told them together,"_ Lily replied to Dumbledore, ignoring the look on her husband's face, her eyes strictly focused on Dumbledore.

 _"Ah, well of course,"_ Dumbledore smiled as he gestured for everyone to settle down before they begin.

The plan they were speaking of involved the _Fidelius Charm_ which was set to be cast tonight on the Potters' house, although they had gone into hiding immediately following Lily's pregnancy, however, they had still been able to leave the house occasionally through the use of James' invisibility cloak. Tonight, they were taking extra precautions to protect Harry, effectively concealing their location from the world, using the _Fidelius Charm,_ with Sirius as their _Secret-Keeper._

Once the charm was to be cast on the house, Sirius was to leave Great Britain, traveling through muggle means, taking precautions against using portkeys, as they never knew when they were being watched. No one outside of the lot gathered currently in the house knew about their whereabouts, nor they knew that the charm was to be performed tonight.

Once the charm was to be cast, Dumbledore, in an attempt to draw out the leak, would strategically inform everyone in the _Order_ about Sirius being the _Secret-Keeper_ , following up with exchanging his location individually with a list of people Lily had grouped up ever since they had heard about the spy. Lily had personally made the list with careful planning, not that she had anything better to do considering her and James had been trapped in the house for so long with little to no company. Dumbledore explained the formation of groups to the _Order_ as an attempt at organization as well as practicing extreme precaution.

Everyone was classified into groups based on their familiarity with one another; so people who were either very familiar with one another, or were strangers outside of the _Order_. It helped that Dumbledore insisted on _Order_ members not interacting much outside of their headquarters, lest Voldemort gets curious. The only exception to this was members who were family or family friends, whom Lily made sure were placed in the same groups. Dumbledore, in return made sure neither group was ever present in the Headquarters at the same time, nor went on the same _Order_ missions. The groups never consisted of more than 5 people or less than 3, the point was that if anyone in these groups were to betray them, at least they would have a distinct idea of who it could be.

The idea was to share a different location with each set of group. Dumbledore was to then have each member of the _Order_ sign their names on a piece of parchment, as a pledge to not share this secret with anyone outside of the _Order_ , or those who supported it.  Lily, who was exceptionally gifted at charms, had jinxed the parchment, assuring that if anyone were to go blabbing to the wrong person, they would be instantly alerted of who it was. James had initially argued that this was an insult to their friends, while Lily insisted that they would understand what they had to do for Harry's sake.

Only Peter aside from Dumbledore, would know the actual location Sirius would really be in; Russia. Peter had been visiting them a lot lately, and they figured Peter to be the last person in the world to go blabbing to the wrong crowd about Sirius' whereabouts. The boy hero-worshipped Sirius, and would rather die than betray his friend to Voldemort.

Remus, on the other hand, though was a part of their group, Sirius had straight up refused when Lily mentioned informing Remus about his whereabouts, although they suspected it had more to do with him running from his former lover, and less to do with his belief that Remus could be the spy. Part of what had convinced Sirius to go hiding outside of Britain was the idea that he wouldn’t have to see Remus. Lily had only obliged when Sirius began thinking perhaps it would be a good idea to tell Remus, ' _so once the traitor comes knocking on his door, he would take him out'_. She did not wish to see Remus hurt, because Sirius was too pigheaded to notice the only reason Remus would ever even show up at his door, would be because he loved Sirius and not because he was trying to torture their whereabouts out of him. It was then decided that Remus would be told of a separate location altogether, isolating him from every other group as well.

Lily had refused to speak to either of them after that, and on their last _Order_ meeting had chosen to sit beside Remus as a form of silent protest as well as support. If no one else was going to be on Remus' side, Lily Evans-Potter would be, damn everyone else. James, torn between Sirius and Lily had chosen to sit next to Frank Longbottom, across from Remus and Lily, with Sirius standing behind him, stubbornly refusing to sit.

 _"I assume you two would like to know what Lily and I have discussed,"_ Dumbledore said, as he accepted a cup of tea Lily had handed him.

Sirius made an audible noise, something which James recognized as his impatience. Dumbledore, either pretended to have not heard, or had heard and decided to not acknowledge it, for he took his sweet time, taking a sip, before he started. However, before Dumbledore could speak, another voice rang out, speaking fast and loud.

 _"We believe that Sirius shouldn't go into hiding outside of Britain."_ Lily said, nervously tugging on loose strands of her hair, before realizing what she had done, her eyes going wide, her mouth forming a perfect circle, however she wasn’t the only one shocked from her revelation.

James and Sirius gaped as Lily profusely apologized to Dumbledore for interrupting him, they didn’t know what it was that left them so struck, what Lily had said, or how she had said it. They were broken out of their thoughts by Dumbledore, who was now attempting to calm Lily down.

 _"I believe I should be the one to apologize, not only had I been late tonight, but I also took things at my own pace not realizing the impact it would have on you, one would ought to react the way you did, now, I'm afraid we have kept the boys in suspense long enough, shall we attend to them?"_ Dumbledore stated, waving of her apology.

Lily turned towards them knowing she would have to eventually face them, and winced as she took in the sight before her. The boys were staring at her, their mouths hung wide open, not believing what they had heard.

 _"Look, I know that wasn’t the perfect way to go about telling you this, but,"_ Lily raised her hand, as she saw them preparing to interrupt her, _"all I'm asking is you hear us out…please."_

So Lily began explaining the change in plans, with Dumbledore every so often adding things in between. They had decided perhaps it would be best if Sirius stayed in Britain, rather than leave, suggesting that by tomorrow Voldemort would know they had cast the Fidelius Charm, and that Sirius was their Secret-Keeper thanks to the spy. He would also be told that Sirius has gone hiding outside of Britain, and go after him, however once he doesn’t find him in the location, the spy has shared with him, he would realize Dumbledore has given out a false location and begin searching for Sirius at other locations.

Sirius, who had been listening quietly, while Lily and Dumbledore spoke, eventually interrupted, arguing that it would take years for Voldemort to find his exact location, searching through every country, state, and city.

 _"Besides, we're only doing this to buy more time for Dumbledore to find a way to defeat him, I doubt that he would find me any time before that."_ He scoffed.

 _"While I appreciate the level of trust you have placed in me, Mr. Black, however, I must inform you it may be misguided, for even I could fail."_ Dumbledore replied.

Sirius looked ready to argue, but Lily cut him off, her tone hard. " _Voldemort has spies everywhere, you don’t know who you would meet in Russia who turns out to be a spy for him. Besides, how long do you think it will take before he makes the right guess? He's not some school boy Sirius, he's a powerful wizard, and there's a reason behind how he's gotten to where he is today, influencing so many wizards. He's persuasive, smart, and resourceful, he won't hesitate to go to any lengths to find you. How long before he finds a way to look for you through means of dark magic?"_

 _"Alright then, what do you suggest?"_ Sirius sounding as exasperated as he looked.

 _"Dumbledore and I believe that the best place for you to hide would be Hogwarts,"_ Lily answered, shrugging.  Apparently she hadn't expected their reactions, for she took half a step back, surprised as two voices began shouting.

_"Are you mad--_

_"Hogwarts? What--_

_"the place is crawling with Slytherins--_

_"how could you think putting Sirius there would be safe--_

_"bloody death eaters the lot of them--_

_"Quiet please."_ It may have been quite a while they had left Hogwarts, but that did not change the effect the voice of their Headmaster had on them. The two immediately quietened down.

If the noise hadn't woken Harry up before, it definitely woke him up now. They all froze, and looked at Harry, wriggling in James' arms, his eyes blinking open as he turned to face them, searching their faces for something, he must've found something for he let out a laugh. No one in the room was surprised by this odd reaction, especially considering who his father and god father were, their knack for trouble was surely passed down to him. Lily glared at James and Sirius, in such a manner that they both knew to keep their mouths shut for the rest of the night or they would be fighting a hex they both knew would be coming, regardless whether the headmaster was present or not.

 _"I understand your cause for concern, however, I must agree with Lily when she says Hogwarts is the safest place for you to hide in. It is heavily warded against attacks of any kind, guarded by many ancient spells and charms to ensure the bodily safety of those who dwell within them."_ Dumbledore pressed, his eyes focused on Sirius.

 _"Not to forget, there is only one wizard Voldemort truly fears, and that is Dumbledore himself. Do you really think he would try to seek you out while you're at Hogwarts, under Dumbledore's protection, and should he even come looking for you there, Dumbledore would be right beside you, if not between the two of you. You have to trust us to protect you Sirius."_ Lily added, a look of desperation on her face, as she tried to convince them of her plan.

 _"What of the students Lils', we can't be putting them in danger, what if Voldemort gets to them, how can they ward themselves from his attacks?"_ James finally spoke up, Lily followed his gaze to Harry, understanding at once what James meant. How could they as parents endanger other kids for their own purpose? How could they put other parents through that?

 _"Which is why I insist, no one outside of this room shall know where Sirius would be hid, I'm afraid that involves Mr. Pettigrew and Mr. Lupin as well,"_ Sirius scoffed, but Dumbledore continued on, paying no attention to him, _"As for the students noticing Mr. Black here, I believe you in fact can help us with that James,"_ At once James understood what it was his headmaster was referring to.

_"The invisibility cloak."_

_"Indeed, I would be more than delighted to pass it to Sirius during his stay at Hogwarts should he ever have the need for it."_ Dumbledore said, before going on to add, _"besides I was under the impression, the invisibility cloak was not the only fascinating piece of magic you had in your time at Hogwarts, though I would be quite disappointed should that not be the case."_

Sirius and James exchanged looks.

_"You know about the m-_

_"Map, ah yes, curious piece of magic, indeed, very curious._

_"but the map was taken-_

_"By Argus Filch, I believe, surely, if you could create a map as brilliant as that, you could find a way to borrow it back for a little while."_ Dumbledore went on, his eyes twinkling slightly, not giving the boys enough time to react, _"But that is not all I speak of, you know your way around Hogwarts more than anyone else, perhaps myself, and perhaps to the extent that only the founders themselves would know the castle. If a problem was to arise, you would have an advantage of knowing your way around a place you're most familiar with, giving you enough time to escape or send a message across. Besides, I have a reason to believe that you of all people would know how to conceal yourself in plain view."_

Sirius and James exchanged looks again, this time however, they looked terrified at the prospect of being caught, the twinkle in their old Headmaster's eyes betraying nothing yet everything in that moment. They had always suspected Dumbledore may know or at least have some idea about them being _animagi_ , but they had no reason to believe it for he had never directly confronted them on the matter. Luckily, before they could give it much thought and say something they would surely regret, Lily interrupted.

_"Look, I know what it means for you Sirius, to not  but if you are to be our Secret-Keeper, I need you to take the matter of going into hiding seriously, not because I fear that Voldemort would find you, but because, what he would do to you once he finds you."_

It was then, that it hit James how afraid Sirius was of being confined to one place, with no other being than himself to keep him company. James understood this was the result of the mistreatment his mate had suffered at the hands of his mother in _Grimmauld Place,_ who had often seen it as a brilliant form of punishment to lock him in the attic for months on end, isolating him for the smallest reasons.

James was broken out of his thoughts, as Lily continued without pausing, _" I know you wouldn’t even utter a sound if he asks you about our whereabouts, but I would be damned if you are tortured or worst killed off as a result. I refuse to put you through that, I refuse to put James through that, or myself or Harry or Remus-Don’t you look at me like that Sirius Black. Harry needs to have his godfather around, safe and sound, to teach him how to play Quidditch, how to sneak around, how to prank people, and all the other horrible things that come as a side effect of having Sirius Black as your godfather, so if you want to be our Secret-Keeper I need you to understand, your security is just as important to us as Harry's. Hogwarts is the only place you would truly be safe. It has the protection that not even Voldemort could stand against. So I would rather you stop taking it so lightly, or fighting us about the security measures we're taking to keep you safe, and just accept it!"_

Lily's small speech had stunned them both into silence. He knew he had married the brightest witch to come out of Hogwarts, but it still surprised him that this brilliant woman had chosen him. He glanced at Sirius just in time to see him looking at Lily, as if seeing her for the first time, simply nodding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed.  
> -M


	4. Clashes and Ashes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuing from the night the Fidelius Charm was cast.

_ **October 24th, 1981 (Continued…)** _

As soon as Sirius nodded, Lily and Dumbledore had jumped up and gotten to work.

James stood on the sidelines, holding Harry tightly in his arms, watching as everyone in the room worked together to keep this tiny little bundle of joy safe.

As he watched, he felt a sense of dread overcome him. Now, James prided himself on his optimism, truth be told, that’s the only thing that really helped him get Lily, aside from his stubbornness. However, in times like this, pessimism is never far. 

 _'What if even with all the precautions they take, they still fail?',_ James worried.

What would happen to Harry, if Lily and James don’t survive this war? Who'd look after him? Who would tell him about _Hogwarts_? Who would take him on his first trip to _Diagon Alley_ , to buy his first wand at _Ollivanders_? Who would practice _Quidditch_ with him? Sirius had already bought Harry his first ever broomstick, regardless that it was a toy broomstick, but a broomstick nonetheless.

James recalled the excitement yet nervous fear that arose in him watching Harry take his first flight on the toy broomstick, the pride he felt when Harry streaked past _Snuffles,_ and broke Petunia's ugly vase. The look of absolute fright on _Snuffles_ face when Harry nearly killed him had James laughing himself into oblivion. Had it not been for Lily, he would've already began planning _Quidditch_ sessions with Sirius for Harry.

James only hoped he lived long enough to watch his son become the extraordinary man he was already on his way to becoming. There were so many things James wished for, so many things he had hoped and planned for, but the war had taken most of it from him. Things he had been looking forward to since he first realized he was in love with Lily, she had captivated his heart and every inch of him. All he wanted was to hold her, and grow old with her. He had dreamed about a happy married life such as his parents, with kids he spoiled as his parents had him.  Never did he imagine things would turn out this way, him and Lily having to go into hiding because some prejudiced git was set on killing their son as a result of some stupid prophecy made by a batty woman. James understood it wasn't Sybil Trelawney's fault, however he couldn’t help but harbor feelings of resentment towards her, had it not been for her, Voldemort would never have singled Harry out. Now his whole family was being targeted by the sociopath, everyone he loved was in danger, and he didn't know how he could protect them all.

James glanced at Sirius, standing across the room speaking to their former headmaster.

Somewhere deep down James knew that if he didn’t survive this war, Sirius would follow suit shortly; not by fate but by choice. The bloody mutt lacked any sense of self-preservation, especially when it came to his friends and their safety.

James wondered what would become of the Marauders.

Peter relied heavily on contact, and thrived on support. Just as a plants main source of energy was the sun, Peter's was his friends. Without them, he would wind up lost and all alone. Sirius, on the other hand was just as reckless as he was impulsive, knowing him he would go about recklessly seeking vengeance, a move which would most likely land him in a trouble he can't get out of. In contrast, Remus, was a whole different case. If losing Sirius hadn't drove Remus over the edge, then losing his best friends would definitely do that.

A distressed Remus befriended isolation and snubbed connection, indulged in self-neglect and bitterly opposed aid. When he should be actively seeking company, he would begin to detach himself from all of mankind, muggle and wizard alike.

For that reason alone, James could never understand how two people as different as Remus and Sirius, could ever have fallen in love with each other. While Sirius sought out chaos, Remus sought order. While Sirius wreaked havoc on the world, Remus closed himself off from it, seeking exile. While Sirius was overtly expressive, Remus was diffident. They stood on opposite ends of a spectrum, but loved each other immensely,  and regardless of what Sirius said now, James knew he still loved Remus, or he wouldn't feel as hurt. He just wished Sirius would get his head out of his arse, and talk to Remus.

James was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts as a blinding, streak of light glided across the room, stopping directly in front of Dumbledore, where it resolved into a silver wolf, soon after Remus' voice filled the room.

_"Reckon you knew. Place ransacked. Lodging under the snappish tree."_

For a while no one seemed to speak, an eerie silence had befallen upon the residents of the Potter cottage,   everyone's eyes moved between Dumbledore and the empty space where the wolf had been.

 _"Remus,"_ whispered Lily, turning to face Dumbledore.

_"Place ransacked? What did he mean? And why? Has someone been following him?"_

Dumbledore looked at her but made no attempt to reply. The silence was slowly become overbearing.

 _"He's been gone for so long, where has he been? Is he alright? He said you knew, what is he talking about?"_ , she prodded for more, but she was again met with heavy silence.

**_"Answer me!"_ **

_"I'm afraid I can't say much my dear."_

Lily narrowed her eyes at him.

James knew, had it been someone else, anyone but the headmaster, they would've been given a real tongue lashing by now. She was barely holding herself back as it is.

James turned his attention to Sirius only to find him nowhere in sight.

His eyes quickly searched the room, landing on a figure with his back to the room, standing still by the furthest window in the lounge area. James could only assume he had moved further as the wolf had drawn closer. His hands were balled into white-knuckled fists at his side, his shoulders tense, and he appeared to be drawing deep breaths.

Just as James made to move towards him, Sirius broke his silence.

 _"You were with him before you came here tonight, weren't you?"_ Sirius glanced over his shoulder when he heard no response, before purposely turning his face back to stare out the window and continuing, "That’s _why you were late."_

Dumbledore stayed silent, but his eyes diverted towards Sirius, watching him with remorse, and a hint of pit…no perhaps it was empathy as if he understood what Sirius was going through.

 _"Is he hurt?"_ James hated how empty his best mates voice sounded.

Dumbledore looked reluctant but finally succumbed under the pressure of Lily's gaze, sighing as he went reaching for something inside his robe pocket.

 _"We're at war,"_ was the only answer he gave, before he quickly called for them to gather round. It was time for the _Fidelius charm_ to be cast.

James kept his eyes on Sirius throughout the whole thing. His face may have been closed off, but his body language told James more than enough.

James knew he was thinking about Remus and his ill-timed presence at the Shrieking Shack, what else could Remus mean by the snappish tree. He only hoped Sirius would be tempted to go after Remus, seeking answers for questions that had been left unanswered the last time. Their previous conversation had been the last conversation between the two, Sirius had raised questions involving Remus' constant disappearance, Remus had refused to give answers, and Sirius had come up with his own answers, resulting in heartbreak.

Both were as stubborn as a Hippogriff when it came down to it. A confrontation was exactly what they needed to sort out their issues, and what better time than now when both would be seeking refuge at _Hogwarts_.

War had consequences, it had death, and James was no stranger to death. He had fought death vigorously, multiples times in this war, and came out triumph. However, even he wasn't naïve enough to believe he would always win, he couldn't deny that one day he would end up losing this battle, no matter the age or time, and he would be damned if he died and left his only family weak and divided.

He quickly decided to speak to Sirius before he left with Dumbledore tonight. This was his only chance, and he didn't know when they will see each other again, or _if_ they ever will.

It wasn’t long before they finished casting the charm, and Lily pulled Dumbledore aside with a meaningful glance at James, and James knew his wife was on the same page as him. Merlin he loved that woman.

He turned to Sirius only to see him avoiding his gaze, his eyes on the ground, his hands in his pocket, and doing everything to ignore every gesture James made to get him alone.

 _"Stupid mutt",_ James muttered under his breath, his eyes still focused on Sirius as he wondered what it would take for Sirius to stop pushing the only people who've truly loved him away.

Harry let out a laugh in his arms, and James winked at his son.

Evidently, James wasn't the only one to notice Sirius behavior, as Lily called out not a second later, _"Why don't you lads head up and get Sirius' trunk while I speak to Dumbledore."_

Did James say how much he loved that woman, because he really loved that woman, that brilliant, beautiful, brave woman.

Smirking at his wife, he went and nudged Sirius on the shoulder and motioned him to follow as he headed up stairs.

Once they reached the room, James placed Harry in his crib which Sirius had bought specifically for his own room. He watched as Sirius moved around quickly, grabbing his suitcase, reaching for everything so fast, that it was near impossible for James to even start up a conversation. James silently began to hand Sirius the things he couldn't seem to find, even if they were right in front of him, and waited patiently. He knew if he approached Sirius for a conversation, chances were he would close off, and James did not want to see his friend off like that, not if this was the last time they'll be seeing each other for a long time.

The moment arrived when Sirius spelled his trunk shut, and _Snuffles_ came sauntering into the room as if he owned it. The cat abruptly stopped in the doorway, where it stood staring at the trunk set on the bed with narrowed eyes.

The moment seemed to stop, and suddenly before they even had to chance to do something, _Snuffles_ jumped onto the case, head and tail held high, and gazed into their eyes.

They both gaped before James snickered and Sirius let out a sigh.

_"Not this again."_

_"Meow"_

_"I have to go."_

_"Meow"_

_"What do you mean no?"_

_"MeOW"_

_"Don't you yell at me. James handle your cat."_

_"Why is he always my cat when he refuses to listen to you."_

_"Because you refuse to listen to me"_

_"As if you ever listen to me"_

_"Perhaps that’s because I'm a reasonable person"_

_"Oi, I am only unreasonable because you are stubborn"_

_"When have I ever been stubborn-wait don’t answer that I know what you're going to say."_

_"Good then I don’t have to pretend and think over what I have to say"_

_"As if you ever think before saying something."_

_"okay, one, rude!"_

_"Two, please shut up, there you go I finished that for you."_

_"TWO, you're a git-"_

_"I didn't know we were going over things we already know, Professor Prongs."_

_"And don’t interrupt me."_

_"I shall do as I please."_

" _Three, Moony."_

_"No."_

_"Pads-_

_"No. that’s the end of this conversation. Have a good night, see you after the wannabe lord is dead."_

_"Padf-_

_"Hurry now Prongs, we don’t want to keep Dumbledore waiting."_

James finally resorted to physical means, as he took hold of Sirius' head between his one arm, and proceeded to ruffle his hair with the other.

"Not the hair, Prongs!"

"Are you going to listen to me."

"No." James ruffled his hair harder "…oi, watch it.."

" _Stop being a prat for a second and listen to me! Look, I know you suspect him, but tonight's not the night for your misguided attempts at being Sherlock Holmes of the Wizarding World. He's been hurt from whatever mission he was on and he needs you…no shut up I'm talking. You mistrusted him, you fought him, didn't even give him a proper chance to explain himself, and now instead of facing him, you're running. Pads, we’re already fighting a war outside, it would do us no good to start fighting amongst ourselves as well, and whether you care to admit it or not, I know there's still a part of you that refuses to believe that Moony could be the spy. If there was even a slightest chance, Moony's not the spy, you will live to regret it for the rest of your life, go to him before its' too late Paddy, fix it before you can't, fix it while you still have the chance."_

Sirius remained silent as James went on, and James wondered if he was finally getting to him. He let go of the hold he had on Sirius, and watched as the man settled on the sky blue couch, across from where he stood.

 _"A few nights before the fight, and our event…eventual break-up, I stood by the Floo waiting for him to come home,"_ James watched as Sirius struggled to find the right words, this was the first time Sirius was making an effort to tell him about what happened between him and Remus which led to their break-up. James, understood how hard it must be for Sirius to share this with him, so he went to his mate and sat by his side, silently offering him support as he continued.

_"In an effort to stay sober for our conversation, I transformed into Padfoot, and waited for him. He didn’t show up, until 3 in the morning, he should've been back by 11. Worried like crazy, y'kno, only for him to show up smelling like…like a bloody wolf, and…and, not…not his wolf. Figured he might've been caught in a cross-fire, but no, no, no he…he wasn't. Didn’t tell me where he was, wouldn't actually. Didn’t even care I was on the verge of a panic attack, waiting for him. Got out the floo and went straight to bed, smelling like that fucki..that bloody wolf…our bed Prongs. Didn't utter a single word to me, except, 'not tonight Sirius', not tonight huh, every damn night was not the night for him, every sodding night."_

_"You think he chea-"_

_"I don’t know…I don’t want to know...but then I do...I do, but I also...don’t, y'kno. I don’t want to…he leaves without a word, comes home bloody, goes to bed without a word, you'd think he would…I keep thinking he could never cheat, its Moony, the bastard wouldn't even cheat on an exam, let alone a homework essay, but…war changes people, don't it? Sometimes I think I know him, other times I wonder whether I even knew him at all to begin with. Then there are days where I think whether it was me...something I did that made him like this, something I did which drove him away, to them, I mean I kinda do that a lot without even realizing it-drive people away that is, been doin it my whole life, since I was a kid, a special talent of mine, really, driving people away without even doing a thing, drove my mu…the old hag away, didn’t even have to say a word, father never cared to begin with, didn't even have to try there, drove Reg away, tried there, but didn't work, did it? You'd think your fam...the only people who are supposed to lo…like…yo...my fam...you don’t choose family, but…guess it takes a special kind of…to drive your own family away…but sod them, sod all of them, let 'em rot, wouldn't wanna be a part of that Flesh-Eating Slug looking bunch anyway…but you'd think I would've learned by now. Wasn’t enough for them…my own family, how could I ever be…for-_   Sirius cut off whatever he was about to say, then slowly shook his head and whispered, " _D_ _amn it Prongs."_

Without saying a word, James pulled Sirius close, hugging him. The last time Sirius had let James hold him like this was when he had ran away from home. James ran his hand through Sirius' hair, stroking his neck. With a deep breath, Sirius, made to pull back, and James reluctantly let him go, knowing how Sirius felt about being vulnerable for too long, even around James. He was surprised to hear Sirius let out a chuckle and turned to see what had caught his friends attention, and upon finding the source of his amusement, he snorted.

 _Snuffles_  looked oddly satisfied curled up on the case, watching the two wizards, and James soon realized why. While Sirius and him had been busy with their conversation, gotten so caught up in their argument, they had failed to notice as _Snuffles_ went about moving Sirius' clothes out of the case and throwing it at the closet, as if it would fold itself neatly into it.

_"You little shit…"_

_"meow"_

_"You. are. a. menace."_

_"meow"_

James laughed as Sirius threw what had been previously thrown on the table, back at the little miscreant, who was now caught up with trying to escape the shirt.

He turned his attention back to Sirius and wondered how to approach him. He hadn't expected to hear what he had, Lily and him had simply assumed Sirius had jumped to conclusions like always without any reason. Now, he didn't know what to say, or do, knowing Sirius had somewhat of a logical reason behind his actions. He didn't really think Remus would cheat, no, Remus absolutely loved Sirius, even when they were at _Hogwarts_ , Moony only had eyes for Sirius, even when Sirius was too oblivious to notice, Remus would never cheat.

_"Maybe it wasn't a wolf per se, but a potion, or a…a plant, or something that could've transferred the smell onto him."_

_"I checked to make sure a couple hundred times that night, the smell was too strong to be transferred from something, it was definitely from contact with someone, rather than a something."_

James imagined a black shaggy dog, as it went about sniffing Moony's clothes, over and over again.

_"Maybe he encountered a wolf on the mission he was on-"_

_"You and I both know, Dumbledore restricted every contact with the wolf pack for missions."_

_"Maybe one happened to show up where Moony was and attacked him"_

_"At the Ministry of Magic,"_  he scoffed, _"unlikely, and e_ _ven if it were the case why wouldn't he tell me?"_

_"You know Moony, he wouldn't want to worry you."_

_"Yeah, well look where that got us."_

_"Sirius-"_

_"No, I know what you're thinking, I get it, maybe he isn't cheating on me, I mean it wouldn't be a surprise if he found someone else, someone better, someone who would understand him, especially if it’s a wolf, he'd have someone who understands his pain, understands what he goes through, not someone who pretends to, by transforming into something at his own time of choosing, without any pain-_

_"Stop that. Moony would never wish that on you, as angry as he was at what we did, he was just as ecstatic, and just as proud of what we achieved-_

_"Oh sod-off…I'm just, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did, that's all I'm saying. It's hard enough on him having to go about it alone, and yes it helps we're there, but at the end of the day, we're not werewolves Prongs, we don’t experience the things he does, it's not enough, what we do, is not enough, I'm…we're not enough…okay"_

_"Sirius,"_ James wondered whether that was part of the reason Sirius had refused to go to Remus on the last full moon. He wondered if his insecurities led him to believe that Sirius wasn't needed if Remus had another wolf by his side. Knowing Sirius, the answer was most likely yes. 

_"No, hear me out. Regardless whether or not he was cheating, again I wouldn't be surprised if he were, the question still remains, what was he doing hanging around a wolf, especially when werewolves have expressed their allegiance with the Lord Bastard, cheating doesn't always have to be physical Prongs, he may not be cheating on me, but who's to say he's not cheating on the cause we fight for, on the marauders?"_

_"And who's to say he isn't on a mission to enlist werewolves as our allies for the war, who's to say he found someone, who is willing enough to join our cause, but is going about doing it discretely to avoid problems, who's to say that wolf isn't working as a spy for us?"_

_"Then why wouldn't he tell me?"_

_"He could've asked Moony not to, he could've made Moony promise!"_

_"Still, he could've shared it with me at least, not like I'll be going around screaming my werewolf boyfriend's enlisting other werewolves for our cause, ha Voldy ha. Why wouldn't he trust me?"_

_"Why don’t you just ask him, you thick-headed mutt."_

_"No."_

_"Damn it Sirius why not?"_

_"Just...no."_ With that, Sirius got up and moved to where _Snuffles_ sat, picking the ruddy little cat up in one arm, and reaching for his wand with the other, he quickly cast several spells which sent everything Snuffles had managed to throw out, back into his case. He finished up with a quick _Scourgify_ around the room, locking his case, and placed the scowling cat back on the ground, petting it as he did, avoiding James entirely.

 _"Just admit it you're afraid,"_ James knew that wasn’t the right way to go about doing this, but he didn't have time for the right way, and he had already tried talking it out with the stubborn git.

 _"Excuse me?"_ Sirius asked, sounding as furious as he looked.

_"You're just too afraid to confront Remus because you are afraid of what you'll find if you do. You're afraid, you might be wrong, you're afraid that of what will happen if you're wrong. You're afraid you will lose Remus because you were too thickheaded to realized that while you were being a right bastard about things. You know , I **think** you don’t even want to be wrong, I think you want Remus to be the spy. You're so afraid of what you will find, that you are hoping…no wishing, you're not wrong, because how else would you ever be able to live with yourself, if you were. How will you ever be able to explain to yourself, how you ruined the only good thing you had going for yourself? As a matter of fact, I think you're intentionally being dense about this whole thing, I think you deliberately sabotaged your relationship because of your own trust issues. And you know what, you keep going on about why he doesn't trust you, well, can't really blame him for that can you, look where that got him the last time he did?_

_"How dare you-_

_"No shut up, I'm still talking, honestly, I didn’t expect you to be such a huge coward, you should've been in Hufflepuff, but wait a Hufflepuff is loyal, patient and just, and right now I don't think you're either."_

_"Then perhaps I should've been in Ravenclaw, but wait, I'm not smart enough for those buggers, then perhaps, you meant I should've been in Slytherin."_

_"You know that’s not what I meant-_

_"No? Oh, is Slytherin too good for me, now?"_

_"Damn it Sirius!"_

_"What, James? I ruin every good thing that comes to me, don’t I? Maybe I shouldn't ever have had them to begin with-_

_"Would you liste-_

_"Starting with our friendship-_

_"You don’t mean that-_

_"Oh but I do, you're nothing but a pompous, obnoxious, arrogant little bugger, who thinks the world revolves around him. Everyone should listen to perfect Potter, he's always right, everyone else is just wrong._

_"You evil little git-_

_"I'm a Black, we're all evil, got the reputation to prove it too-_

_"Sirius, sh-_

Both were startled as soft whimpers echoed around the room, followed by a cry effectively silencing them. The two rushed towards Harry, having forgotten he was in the room. James stretched his arms out to pick Harry up from the crib, and got to rocking him gently back and forth, while Sirius quickly grabbed one of the toys he had placed in the crib, and handed it to Harry, brushing his godsons hair away from his face, which was resting on James shoulder.

Harry sniffed, his eyes shut, as tears rolled down his red cheeks. Sirius wiped them away just as Lily's voice entered the room.

_"What is going on in here?!"_

James and Sirius turned around to see Lily and Dumbledore standing by the door, each of them with their wands out, clearly having expected something horrible. The two boys exchanged guilty looks, finally taking in what had just happened. This was suppose to be the last time they would see each other, until Voldemort was defeated at least, and they had just spent it fighting. James bit his lip, he couldn't believe how quickly things had gone south. He was suppose to be the rational one here, with Sirius still struggling to come to terms with the break-up. He couldn't believe he had let things get this far, especially after all Sirius had shared with him. His bloody temper. Since the day he has been able to voice his thoughts, James Fleamont Potter has always had a problem with thinking before speaking, and once he started, speaking that is, he would not shut up until his point was made, and Sirius had to bear the brunt of it. James looked apologetically at Sirius, he knew Sirius would understand without him having to say a word, but Sirius quickly looked away and reached for his case. 

_"Nothing. Shall we, Headmaster?"_

_"Of course."_ Dumbledore looked curiously between the two, and wisely chose to stay quiet. He bid James farewell, and walked back out, Lily followed after, with a grimace on her face.

Sirius turned to Harry, who was still gathered up in his father's arm, and gave the boy a peck on his forehead. After some thought, he gave James a quick pat on the shoulder, and without sparing him another glance, followed after Dumbledore and Lily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed.  
> -M

**Author's Note:**

> The story will be drifting back and forth between present and past events for a while. I've tried to make it as clear as possible in the text, but if it isn't, you are all welcome to let me know and I can make slight changes. Thank you.  
> -M


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